NiGHTmare
by Baylor The Modern Hero
Summary: A teenager suddenly finds himself in the middle of a plot to take over the realm of Dreams and Reality. He must now team up with the essence of dreams herself, NiGHTS, and put a stop to Wizeman's most notorious and horrifying scheme yet.
1. Night 1

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 1**

I awoke in a cold sweat, panting as though I had just run a marathon. My eyes darted around the pitch-black darkness that cloaked my room. My breathing slowed to just above normal.

"Ugh… not again…" I flopped back down onto my pillow. This was the 7th night in a row that this had happened. Constant nightmares plaguing every sleeping moment. It was getting out of control…

* * *

The next morning wasn't so kind, either. The science room was, once again, 1000 degrees warmer than the sun. Apparently, the science teacher has no sense of temperature. Cold-blooded animal. If I didn't know any better, I would suspect that he _was_ part reptile.

"So, as you can see by the structure…"

It was unbearable. The constant blathering of the lecture, the ungodly amount of heat, and the lack of sleep was getting to me. I couldn't care less about the melting point of Stupidium or whatever it is the teacher was hyped up on. _I just wanted sl-_

"Student 25! Are you paying attention?"

I jolted up out of my chair, literally. A loud crash echoed throughout the room as I had managed to knock down both my chair any myself. That definitely woke me up…

"25, if you can't manage to stay awake during the lecture, please vacate yourself from the learning environment. It's all well and good that you have the highest grade in the class, but that's not enough. You're setting a bad example for everyone else." The teacher gave an exasperated sigh and pointed with a long bony finger to the door. "Go get yourself a drink, splash your face with cold water, do whatever you must. The class is almost over anyways…"

I picked myself up off the ground and strode out of the class, all eyes on me again. _God, I hate that guy...

* * *

_

After another 7 hours of battling sleep deprivation, school was finally over. Hell, I don't even think I can call it that. Normally, one learns how to measure angles or construct specific sentence formations, but how can you learn that if you already know how? It was just another stop in my boring routine of a life.

I arrived at the somewhat dilapidated apartment complex that was now Uncle's house. My uncle was my caretaker, as my mother had passed away when I was younger, and my father was currently being held in prison for said death, the bastard. Uncle had taken care of me since then, despite the fact that he could hardly take care of himself.

Uncle was a kind man, albeit rather flighty. He often had to work from dusk to dawn as the night-guard for the local museum, so I would hardly see him for more than a fleeting moment. It wasn't exactly a well-paying job, either: $10 per hour didn't allow for much leeway in terms of luxuries, but it put food on the table and paid for school. Apparently, it wasn't always like this for Uncle. He had actually bought the complex in hopes that he could restore it to its former glory, if it had any to begin with. Unfortunately, the idea flopped and now he was stuck with it, as nobody wanted to buy it and Uncle couldn't make enough money to rebuild.

Just as I had entered the building, I heard Uncle talking on the phone with someone. By the sound of it, it didn't seem to be a happy conversation, something about payment, so I decided to just ignore it and get to my room. The apartment had an elevator, but it was busted and couldn't be accessed from the first floor, which didn't really bother me. What always confused me was why an apartment that was only three floors and had ramps instead of stairs would actually _need_ an elevator. But I digress…

I fumbled around tiredly with the keys to my room, A5. Uncle used the other rooms for various purposes, mostly storage. A5 was the second biggest room in the apartment, B5 being the largest, which so happened to be Uncle's.

The door was jammed. "Goddammit…" I wiggled the key a bit, but luck would have it that the rust on the doorknob had caught the key. With a jerk, I yanked out the key… and the doorknob. "Double dammit…" I pulled the key out of the knob and pushed open the door as it squeaked and groaned along its hinges.

Tossing the knob on the bedspread, I flicked on the television and cycled through the channels: reality TV, cooking, police shows, crappy cartoons, etc. I finally settled on the regular news program. Ever since they replaced the newscaster, it hasn't really been as interesting.

"Tonight on Hart Nightly News, the number of suicide victims has increased…"

_Weird… hasn't anyone found anything more?_ The first suicides I had heard about were assumed to be murders by officials. However, as life went on, more people began to show up dead, each with strikingly similar "techniques," so to speak: holes cut into their hands in the shape of eyes and their real eyes gouged out. Again, it was assumed to be murder until it was discovered that each person had been diagnosed with sleep-deprivation and chronic nightmares.

I couldn't stand to watch anymore of the gruesome story, so I flicked off the TV. I glanced over at the rusted doorknob lying on my bed.

"May as well fix that… maybe tomorrow…"

I glanced over at my backpack sitting on the floor. The unholy creature glared back at me, demanding that its contents be removed. Sighing, I took out my books and got to working on the homework.

* * *

"_Finally_!" I rolled back away from my homework and let the pencil roll out of my hands. It was finally done, though the time it took to actually complete the assignments given was ungodly. I rubbed my eyes and then noticed something: sunlight. Wasn't it the middle of the night? How could there be sunlight? And it was unusually misty in the room. Everywhere, in fact...

"Crap, it's already morning!" I shoved the books and papers into my backpack and dashed out of my apartment room, not even caring that the knob was still off. But when I opened the front door, instead of meeting the usual grass walkway, my foot landed on concrete.

I looked around, and something was wrong: the city had changed. The light I had observed from my window had disappeared, and the city was now blanketed in an eerie dark hue, destroying the colors that once were. I turned around to go back to the apartment, but it was now gone. In an attempt to find out what had happened, I managed to locate a street sign, but the name had been scratched off.

"What the…?"

A shuffling sound came from across the street. I whipped around to see someone, or something, standing there. Its head was bent down to face the ground, its hands at its sides.

"Excuse me…?" My voice quivered suddenly. The thing looked up, radiating a strange vibe, almost as if inviting me over. I walked over. "Do you know what street this is?" I turned to point where the sign was. "Someone scratched off the nameplate…" I turned my attention back at the person, but fell backwards as the thing lunged at me. It looked exactly like the suicide victims did: empty, bleeding eye sockets and eyeball-shaped carvings on the palms of the hands.

"Oh my God!" I backed away as more of them began to appear, walking out of alleyways or exiting stores.

_This can't be happening. This can't be happening!_ I forced myself up as the beings continued after me, their mouths moaning inhuman growls.

I ran. All I could do was run. The things shuffled after me quickly.

I had to run. I was outrunning them. Them and the darkness. They were catching up to me. I was running out of breath. I pivoted on my heel again, only to be thrown off balance. But instead of hitting the concrete, I fell into darkness. Just like my other nightmares, only more real than I could comprehend. The darkness covered every inch of my vision, and yet I kept falling.

_This can't be happening._ The thought kept running through my head as the darkness finally extinguished the last of the visible light. I closed my eyes, waiting for some form of end to the falling.

_Any minute now, I'm going to hit the ground, and that's that…_ It wasn't a pleasant thought, but it was true. I was falling forever. Once I stopped, it would be over. I would have died from the impact.

* * *

The feeling stopped. My body was now balanced rather than tumbling. My eyes were still shut, but I could feel that I was no longer falling. A soft and gentle breeze grazed my face. Something was rubbing my face along with the wind. I opened my eyes.

A blade of grass was tickling my cheek. A forest of grass had clouded my vision, but I could see again. The color was back, and so was my balance. I pushed myself up off the ground to gain a feeling of my new environment. It was strange, different… but in a good way.

The sky was dark like last time, but there were stars. The moon shone in the sky alongside the stars, though it was more pure than normal. Given from my field of view, I was standing on an isolated strip of land away from what looked to be a larger landmass floating in the air, a thin strip of land connecting my island to the mainland. Around various parts of the mainland, large metal fences stood, almost gothic in appearance, yet welcoming. Trees were growing within the area the fences had enclosed, with a beautiful fountain spouting in the center. On the outskirts of the fountain's area were several doorway structures, many of which were broken or simply hollow doorways. However, after wandering a little bit closer, I could see that there were two- no, make that three- doors that were upright and somewhat intact.

As I wandered closer, I could hear a faint sound. It sounded like music, something from a wind instrument. A flute, perhaps? It was a beautiful so-

"WELCOME, VISITOR!" A large owl swooped down in front of my face, apparently trying to scare the crap out of me. Damn near worked, as I managed to fall flat on my rear. As if being chased by those zombies wasn't bad enough…

"Hm? Why, this is strange. You appear to be a tad older-looking than most of the Visitors we get around here. Of course, we rarely get Visitors period! Hoo!" The owl landed in front of me, smoking a pipe.

_This just gets weirder and weirder…_ I pushed myself up once again and dusted myself off. I was about to ask where exactly I was, but the owl cut me off, as though anticipating the question.

"Well, I suppose proper welcoming is in order. Welcome to Nightopia, land of dreams! I am Owl." Owl bowed his head while simultaneously removing his pipe from his mouth- err, beak.

Suddenly the music started up again. That light and airy tone echoed through the area. I looked around to see where exactly it was coming from, and then saw. A strange figure stood atop one of the nearby trees in front of the moon. Given by its overall shape, I assumed it was female. She had her hands out as though holding a flute, yet there was nothing there. She was dressed in a jester's outfit, sporting purple and white patterns. The hat that was on her head was striped purple and the "ears" of the hat extended down just passed the girl's shoulders. Her eyes opened and sparkled in the sky, then ceased playing. The girl then flew down to the area, making a lap around the fountain before landing next to Owl. She was slightly taller than I was, even if I were to stand on my toes.

"A Visitor? That's surprising." She flew around me. "And an older one at that!"

"That's exactly what I said…" Owl sighed, exhaling more smoke.

"Well, I may as well introduce myself. My name is NiGHTS, and welcome to Nightopia!" Nights twirled around in the air and gave a wink to me.

I was speechless. One minute I'm doing homework, the next I'm running from zombies, now I'm talking to a pipe-smoking owl and a jester. Dear lord I need a vacation…


	2. Night 2

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 2**

I stood there, motionless. Nightopia? Visitor? Land of Dreams? What was going on?

"Are you alright, Visitor?" Owl inquired.

How was I supposed to respond? I was just chased from my normal life by zombies with their eyes carved out and am suddenly in the "Land of Dreams." I'm not sure about most people, but I sure as hell was confused.

"Oye! Are you still alive in there?" NiGHTS waved her hand in front of my face. I pushed it aside.

"Err, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." I obviously wasn't, but it didn't matter.

"Well then, if you don't mind, would you kindly tell us _your_ name?" NiGHTS badgered as she put her hands on her hips.

"Name?" I must have sounded like an idiot, as NiGHTS and Owl simply turned to each other with a somewhat confused look on their faces.

"Um, yes. Your name?" Owl asked kindly.

"Maybe you fell on your head a bit harder than usual when you came here…" NiGHTS simply turned around with her arms crossed.

"I do have a name, thank you very much!" I growled at NiGHTS. "I'm just normally not allowed to use it, that's all."

It was true. I couldn't user my name: at school. The issue was that too many children were "misbehaving" and displaying major disobedience toward the school officials, such as graffiti, vandalism, back-talking, and even violence. Some blamed the parents, others the environment, some even the children themselves. So, we were all given a number or code rather than have the privilege of using our birth-names. I was assigned as number 25. Most would consider this to be overly-oppressive, but times were different now. Much different.

"Leon. My name is Leon." I felt a little bit of weight come off my shoulders. It seemed weird to actually say my real name after so many years of oppression.

"Hmm, alright then. Nice to meet you, Leon." NiGHTS looked over her shoulder, her face plastered with a smug look. It irked me.

"So, this place is called 'Nightopia'?"

"Yes, it is. Nightopia: Land of Dreams. Well, technically this is the Dream Plaza. You see, this land is the parallel of your universe. It is constructed based on the dreams of different individuals, such as you. Each dreamer normally sees only his or her version of Nightopia. Although, there have been cases where _two_ dreamers have the _same_ perception…" Owl trailed off. He gave a huff and exhaled smoke.

"Clairis and Elliot, Helen and William… It seems like only yester-night that they first stepped through those gates…" Owl pointed to the gates behind me.

"That was before he took up this habit." NiGHTS obviously was talking about Owl's smoking. She snatched up the pipe as Owl flailed about after it. "No matter how many times I tell him, he keeps on puffing, the old buzzard…"

"How rude! I'll have you know I am perfectly capable of quitting whenever I want!" Owl continued to bicker at NiGHTS, but I had already somewhat drifted away towards the various smaller arches dotted around the Dream Plaza. All of them that I could see were simply random arches, shaped like doorways but without doors.

"What are these things?" I inquired. NiGHTS and Owl quickly stopped fighting. Taking advantage of the moment, Owl bonked NiGHTS on the head, snagged the pipe back and flew over to me.

"Ah yes, the Dream gates. These are the portals to each person's individual Nightopia. Naturally, you can't enter another person's reality, so these are unavailable to you," Owl explained.

"Yours might be around here somewhere. Sometimes it takes a couple visits to actually manifest one of them," NiGHTS piped up. "Hey Leon? Have you ever thought about flying?"

My attention instantly fixated to her. I had always had a passion for aerial activities, ever since I could remember. "Only every moment!"

NiGHTS gave a contented smirk. "Then let's dualize!"

"…dualize?" My expression of excitement quickly turned into confusion.

"Yes, dualize. Here in the Dream World, some Visitors have the potential to assimilate their bodies with NiGHTS. Go up and touch her, then you'll see what I'm talking about." Owl took a puff of the pipe.

_Well… It couldn't hurt…_ I stepped forward. NiGHTS held her hand out towards me. I touched her hand with my own as I closed my eyes.

…Nothing happened.

"Hmm? That's odd…" Owl muttered.

"I've never met a visitor that couldn't dualize with me before…" NiGHTS muttered. She floated away from me. "You're missing out. Oh well…" NiGHTS began to fly around, obviously taunting me.

"Well, that's great… I get the chance to fly around only to learn I'm defective…" I sighed heavily. Not exactly the best dream, if you ask me.

"D-don't worry, Leon. It might be that it's because it's your first time here in Nightopia. Perhaps you can do it next time you visit!" Owl tried to encourage. I could definitely tell that he cared about the Visitors who came to this "Dream World," so that gave me some comfort.

"Thanks. So, can you tell me a little more about this place?" I inquired. "I mean, it's just a little difficult to understand, that's all."

"Of course! It would be an honor!" Owl gave a bow. NiGHTS quickly bonked him on the head.

"You don't need to be so formal, feather-head. So, what would you like to know about?" NiGHTS asked as she pushed Owl aside.

I wanted to ask why she showed such little respect towards Owl, but that would have to wait another time. "Why am I here? I mean, I know that I'm here because I'm dreaming, but why? If everyone came here while they were dreaming, wouldn't everyone's dreams be the same?"

"An excellent question, young lad!" Owl pushed NiGHTS out of the way just as she had to him. "You see, the Night dimension has a type of 'filter' on it. There are people who are weeded out due to… certain forces… that prevent them from coming here. Only a handful of people are actually allowed to enter the Night dimension. Those who are weeded out simply return to their bodies. Those are technically dreams as well, but the Night dimension dreams are different in that they are remembered clearly, due to them actually being real."

Maybe I should have asked a different question… "I don't get it. Are you saying that there are real dreams and fake dreams?"

"Sort of." NiGHTS decided to pipe up. "The 'dreams' you are having while in the Night dimension are actually memories, while the other dreams are more of quick mashes of a dreamer's wants, feelings, and own memories, though technically the Night dimension memories are also influenced by the individual."

"Excellent work, NiGHTS!" Owl praised NiGHTS, who formed yet another smug look on her face. "I can see you've been paying attention to my lectures!"

"Well, I have to do _something_ with my time..." NiGHTS boasted.

"Right… anyways, you mentioned that there's some kind of 'filter' that keeps certain people out?" I questioned them both. They looked nervously at each other. "What? Is there something bad about that?" Owl gave a sigh; NiGHTS turned away. I had obviously touched some sort of memory that was apparently taboo for them to talk about.

"Ok, never mind that. What about this place? If this is the 'Night dimension, where dreams are reality,' then wouldn't it be possible to simply bend it to the way I want it to be?" I was rather curious as to the actual nature of this place, this "Night dimension."

"Well, think of it this way, Leon," NiGHTS held her two hands slightly far apart from each other. "If one dreamer dreams of the dimension one way, but then the other a different way," she began to form different shapes with her hands, "then eventually the dimension would tear itself apart from all the different perspectives." Her hands formed a little "explosion shape", whereupon some sort of glitter flew in different directions. "But there are some ways one could sort of 'bend' the world to his or her wish, just not to extreme degrees."

This was curious to me. Not that the explanation, but the glitter. NiGHTS had rather interesting glitter trails flowing off from her hands, continuously cascading from her hands from some unknown source.

"What is this glittery stuff?" I asked as I passed my hand through the flow of sparkling dust. It felt like a cool breeze, though it also had a minute sting to it.

"This? It's my Twinkle Dust. I guess you could say it's my energy that flows off me. Nothing too special about it." NiGHTS swirled her hands around, the dust trailing her hands and forming a type of veil around her. "Nightopians love the stuff, but the Nightmarens hate it, so it helps bail me out of trouble…"

"The Nightopians are the natural inhabitants of Nightopia. They are creatures that love to play and sing in Nightopia. They can be found everywhere in Nightopia, except the Dream Plaza, of course." Owl added. "Would you like to meet them?"

I was about to asked about the Nightmarens, but I figured that would wait another time. I was sure they were tired of my endless cascade of questions.

"I would, but there aren't any doors around, remember?" I gestured to the various Dream Gates.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that there's no way to Nightopia. If Nightopia were only accessible if a Visitor could get there, then it wouldn't exist, right?" NiGHTS asked rhetorically. She did have a point.

"As I said before, the Night dimension has different rules and laws than yours does. What you consider law may be completely different here, and our laws might be magic to you. Perhaps it might be best to just relax and 'go with the flow' as you youngsters say, hoo!" Owl chuckled. NiGHTS rolled her eyes, and I couldn't help but do the same.

"Ahem... Now then…" Owl spread his wings and a large door materialized in the middle an archway, a flash of light brightening the area. "Visitors first, Leon." Owl bowed and extended a wing towards the door.

I tilted my head slightly. I looked behind the door, but there was nothing there, just the other side of the door. _Well, this ought to be interesting…_ I stepped forward and pulled the door open as light clouded my vision.


	3. Night 3

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 3**

The light faded as I lowered my hand from my eyes. I found myself standing in an open meadow, grass extending in every direction. Small trees dotted the landscape, with the occasional forest engulfing various spots. Rolling hills emerged in front of me and to my right, while flatlands were to my left. In the distance I noted large crystalline mountains scraping the sky as clouds gathered at the tips.

"…Whoa…" was all that I could mutter. I had never seen anything like this, save for in fairytales.

I suddenly heard giggling and singing coming from not too far ahead. Crossing some of the hills, I found NiGHTS flying around strange creatures. They were shaped like human infants, yet had wings and a pointed cone-head. Their wings were large and circular, much like that of a fairy or even a butterfly to an extent. Each of them had a small halo around their heads, giving them an almost angelic appearance. They were the ones singing and giggling as NiGHTS flew about, playing her invisible flute.

NiGHTS stopped playing the flute as I approached the group. "Are these Nightopians?" I asked as they all looked up at me. They began to speak in some sort of gibberish while sharing different facial expressions. I couldn't tell what they were talking about, but I had a hunch it had to do with me.

"That's right. These are the Nightopians. They're the ones we were talking about. Hoo." Owl piped up as he flew around me.

"Yup! Well, some of them. These ones are your average ones. There are others, though, that are more reclusive and whatnot…"

The Nightopians then began to scurry about and fly around us. They giggled and talked in their incomprehensible language a little bit more. I couldn't help but laugh a little bit as they fluttered around us.

Suddenly, one stopped. Its face shifted from happy to one filled with fear. It began to cry, and soon the others did as well. They all began to flutter away from us before I could even understand.

"Huh? What's going on? Why are they leaving?" I inquired. Was it me that they were afraid of?

I was then knocked off my feet after a crushing blow to my back was delivered. I fell forward, face-first into the grass. I could see the light darkening as though clouds were blocking the sun's light.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Another weakling visitor?" A cold, harsh voice echoed behind me. I forced myself up and whirled around to see… NiGHTS? No, this person was different.

He was more muscular than NiGHTS, with red and black colors rather than NiGHTS's purple. His skin was pale with a blue tint, with fingernails that looked as though they could cut clean through flesh. His face was sinister with sickle-shaped markings under his eyes, like that of a demented mime. His jester cap curled more so than NiGHTS', with his sadistic smile curling more. His outfit was simple, yet terrifying, showing off his brutish physique. His nosed was long and hooked, his eyes glaring with hatred.

"Reala! What do you think you're doing here?" NiGHTS floated between Reala and I. I could tell through the animosity in her tone that she did not quite care for Reala. I couldn't blame her.

"Ah, NiGHTS. I was just taking a stroll through here. Wizeman's been looking for you, you know. Shall we go now, or should I have to resort to force?" Reala cracked his knuckles, smirking even more.

"I'll choose door number three: You get out of here _without_ me having to kick your butt!" NiGHTS shot back. Owl backed away towards myself.

"Hmph, fine. We'll play hardball, if that's what you want. Seize her!" He pointed at NiGHTS as two monstrous birds flew down from the sky. One knocked Owl and myself over while the other grabbed NiGHTS's arms.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" NiGHTS thrashed about to try and regain her freedom, but to no avail.

"Let her go!" I shouted at Reala. I stood my ground, trembling.

"What's this? The weak little Visitor hasn't run off yet? I suppose I'll have to get my hands dirty taking care of this filth you let in here, NiGHTS?" Reala cackled.

Without realizing it, I dashed at Reala, fist ready to punch his teeth in. Reala merely dodged the attack and grabbed my arm, forcing it up behind my back.

"How _dare_ you? You think that you have any right to attack _me_? Wizeman's most trusted henchman?" He hissed, forcing my arm up further. The pain was excruciating for a dream.

"Whoever this Wizeman is obviously is more crazy than you are! Let NiGHTS go, monster!" I kicked at Reala, but to no avail; his vice-like grip held fast.

"Perhaps this is a good time to try my new trick…" Reala bashed his head against mine.

Suddenly, I was in a dark area, no discernable top, bottom, anything. I could only make out the shape of my body in the total blackness. Suddenly, a light appeared in the distance. Then another. The lights were oval, similar to that of eyes. Sure enough, irises and pupils formed in the lights and they gave a blink.

"H-huh? Who's there?" I stammered as I tried to back away. My feet were anchored to the invisible ground upon where I stood. Four more eyes lit up the darkness, and suddenly the area was engulfed in a strange light, hostile and apathetic.

The light faded and revealed a monstrous figure cloaked in a type of robe, yet with no body. A spiked crown was infused on a helmet with no discernable features save for an unmoving mouth-like shape on the metal head. Six limbless hands floated about with a single, spiteful eye in the palms. A voice echoed throughout the area:

**Foolish Visitor… you dare to intrude upon my perfect realm? Your destruction is as imminent as the rising of the moon. Prepare for suffering.**

One of the hands rose up, clenched into a fist, and came down upon my body as the world went black again.

I awoke on the ground of my apartment room, pillows and blankets scattered everywhere. The sun was shining through the window blinds onto the carpeted floor. My books, papers, and utensils were thrown about the room.

"Ugh… the hell?" I rubbed my head after getting up from the ground. My head was throbbing, like I had just slammed headfirst into a truck.

"N… NiGHTS?" I looked around, hoping that I was still in the Night Dimension. A knock on the door brought me back to reality.

"Leon? You up yet? I've got a doctor's appointment," Uncle called through the door. "… Your doorknob is gone…"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'll fix that. See ya later, Uncle," I responded. Footsteps echoed down the hallway as he left, and the door slammed to signal his exit.

"Night Dimension… Dream world… was it just a dream?" I asked myself. It obviously was a dream, but it felt so real. More real than anything I had felt while I was asleep before. I could remember everything about that dream: Owl, the Nightopians, Reala, NiGHTS… and that monstrous figure with the six hands… I don't know what that was, but I could remember it clearly.

As I flicked on the television to catch up on the morning news, something caught my eye. Turning up the volume, there was yet another report on the recent suicides.

"… was found this morning with shockingly similar markings and wounds as the other victims. His eyes removed and cuts in his hands, the young boy was found in his bloodied room by his sister, who fainted on the scene. What intrigues the investigators more is the series of markings that spell out the simple phrase 'He comes' over and over along the boy's walls, presumably in his own blood. No word on the condition of the rest of the family. The Twin Seeds City Police Department advise to all viewers out there that if sleep deprivation, strange behavior, or nightmares is plaguing you or a loved one, please seek medical attention as soon as possible."

The scene on the television showed the bedroom of the deceased individual with blood spattered on the walls with a figure above the phrase "He comes." The figure was a large being with a spiked head, cloak, and six hands with eyes in the palms. A chill ran up my spine as I began shaking in fear.

"T-that… thing…" It was the same monster I saw just before I woke up. Whatever it was, it was attacking people in real life, too. But why? I didn't understand any of this, nor would I in this apartment. There had to be more to this than what was on the media or in my dreams. I had to investigate.

I stood at the foot of Twin Seeds Library. There had to be something in here that could tell me about all this. If it existed, Twin Seeds Library had some reference or knowledge of it. I ascended the stairs to the giant glass doors that would hopefully lead me to an answer.

The inside of the library was mostly void of life, save for a few secretaries and an occasional browser. Since the emergence of online libraries and downloadable information, actual books had become less and less of a pastime or source of entertainment, aside from using them as projectiles at people. However, the Twin Seeds Library had the honor of being a national landmark, and therefore could not be torn down or shut down.

The library itself was enormous, matching the size that of the town hall. The architecture incorporated many arches and stone columns with Corinthian décor at the tips of said pillars. Each step on its marble flooring echoed throughout the empty building like a gunshot. In addition, at the center of the library stood a spiral staircase to ascend to the other floors. It was here that I hoped to find the answer to my inquisitions.

I decided to use a nearby computer to look up the books I thought would contain what I needed. Most of these books I could weed out, since "dreams" and "dream world" most frequently appeared in the Psychology section. Unfortunately, this still left me with at least 20 or so books to search through. Sighing, I began to search through the books, hoping to find some sort of lead.

"This could take a while…"

After researching for about an hour, I had exhausted my search to nothing. None of the books I had found had any leads or information on the Night Dimension or Nightopia or anything. I had wasted an entire day going to a dead end. Frustrated, I put the rest of the books on the "Return" cart, whose shelves were already warped from the excessive weight of the literature. As I put the last books on the cart, I noticed one that caught my eye: an old, beat-up encyclopedia. At first, I thought nothing of it. Why would it have any more information about the Night Dimension than the other books? I decided to ignore it.

…

Then I went back and picked up the book and sat at the table. It was an encyclopedia of fairy tales and mythology, and it weighed a ton. The table creaked as I placed the book on the surface and opened the dilapidated tome. The pages were yellowed with age, and the edges shone like a Bible.

"Dreams, Dreams…" I noted at the section in the table of contents. I quickly flipped to that page to find that it was an old children's bedtime story. I began to read the story, and quickly realized how important this was. Closing the book and checking it out at from the receptionist, I quickly sprinted back to my apartment while ignoring harassers to further analyze the legend. As soon as I got to the apartment, I opened the book once more and began to read.


	4. Night 4

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 4**

_Long ago before the universe was born, the two Creators Suinam and Oireino had a contest: whoever could build the most fantastic world would win allegiance of Man. _

_Suinam created a world, light but lawful under her rules. _

_Oireino created a world, dark but filled with potential. _

_When the two presented their worlds to Man, Man chose Suinam's world of light. _

_Outraged, Oireino felt as though Suinam had cheated to win Man's allegiance, and attacked her in a fit of jealousy. _

_A great battle ensued, with each of the worlds' inhabitants against each other. _

_Because Suinam had Man on her side, she was victorious over her jealous counterpart._

_As punishment, Oireino was forced to live in the world he had created._

_As time passed, Suinam noticed that sons of Man had begun to change after awakening from sleep. _

_Oireino had been tempting Man through dreams to once again challenge Suinam to the death out of revenge._

_In one final clash, Suinam forced Oireino back into his own realm once more, but not before suffering fatal attacks._

_With her last breaths, Suinam vowed to protect Man from the attacks of Oireino by infusing her essence into Man, manifesting herself as 5 attributes called Ideya._

_Oireino felt tortured for what he had done: on one hand, he had destroyed his sister once and for all, but on the other hand he was trapped in his own world, devoid of love even by his own world._

_The two conflicting emotions literally tore him in two, creating two new children: Wizeman and Slott._

_Slott became the ruler of the realm of Nightopia, the land of good dreams._

_Wizeman became the ruler of the realm of Nightmare, the kingdom of bad dreams._

_Slott believed in letting Mankind dream what it wished would make it happy, while Wizeman's belief was filled with greed and hate, through which he plotted to destroy Slott and rule the Dream world._

_While Slott allowed dreamers to believe what they wanted, Wizeman strove to obtain the Ideya from the dreamers to grow to power, for both Slott and Wizeman were without Suinam's Ideya._

_Wizeman planned to use the power from the stolen Ideya to further his power and rule the Dream realm._

_However, because Slott and Wizeman were one in the same being, neither could be outmatched._

_So, Wizeman and Slott will forever be at a stalemate, one to never overthrow the other._

_As time passed, Oireino's influence on Man began to fade, and the brothers' powers began to fade. _

_Only through dreams could the brothers Slott and Wizeman affect Man._

_Thus is the origin of Dreams and Nightmares._


	5. Night 5

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 5**

I sat on my bed with the book open on the sheets. I read the story once. Twice. Thrice. It didn't make much sense to me, but then again, it was a fairytale.

I checked the picture that came with story. It was an ornate drawing of two reptilian creatures staring each other down. One was basked in light with large, feathery wings and the head of a bird; the other cloaked in darkness, possessing spider-like legs and the head of a human. The way that they were positioned was similar to that of the Taoism symbol, but on its side. In the center of the two was a human silhouette.

Below the dark serpentine monster were two more figures, one with shoulders that extended above its head and short legs, the other with several disembodied hands and no visible body. A shudder ran up my spine as my mind flashed back to the scene in my nightmare.

Around the center human were five shining spheres, each shaded a different color and with a different letter in the center of the orb: C, G, P, I, and H.

"Those must be the Ideya…" I muttered to myself as I pointed to the orbs._ The life-force of Suinam... _I flipped to the back of the book for a more clear definition of the word.

"'Ideya- noun; the legendary life-force of Suinam the ruler of consciousness'"_… Well, that was helpful… _I thought sarcastically. Perhaps NiGHTS and Owl would kno-

"Crap! I forgot about them!" I jumped up off the bed as if to go somewhere, but then remembered: they're in the Dream world.

I paced around the room. I couldn't just go to sleep… could I?

I laid down on the bed with my eyes closed in an attempt to get back to sleep.

…

_Jeez, this isn't going to work. I'm too wound up…_ I sat back up. "Maybe…" I took the thick encyclopedia in my hand, closing the hardback cover. I raised it above my skull and clenched my eyes shut, preparing for the pain to come. "This is gonna hurt…"

_**KONK!**_

I dropped the book and doubled over, clutching my head in pain. "Yow… that didn't work…" Rubbing the bump on my skull, I sat back up and groaned. There had to be an easier way to get back to sleep…

* * *

Three hours had passed since I came home from the library until Uncle finally came home. He shuffled over to the elevator, not remembering that it was busted. After pushing the button only to hear an obnoxiously loud buzzing sound, he trudged up the stairs with a groan.

I waited until he had reached his room before engaging in a conversation. "Uncle?" He stopped jiggling the keys in the rusted lock with a sigh and turned around.

"Yeah, kiddo? What's up?" he asked, exasperated. His rugged blond hair and slight stubble were dirtied from whatever work he had to do that day, in addition to the fact that he didn't even get a chance to sleep from his work at the museum last night.

"Um… I'm having trouble getting to sleep. Do you think you can help?" I didn't really want to beat around the bush. But then again, I also didn't want to lie to the only person taking care of me for the sake of a dream.

"Hm… well, have you tried just emptying your mind? Or knocking yourself out?" He inquired.

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Sure, it hurt incidentally, but it was somewhat funny hearing him talk about it now. "Yes, Uncle. I've tried that. It didn't exactly work as expected."

"Hm… well we can always take you to see Dr. Charles for a prescription for some sleeping pills or a sedative if it's bothering you that much…" He muttered.

Dr. Charles was a local pharmacist and part-time therapist. He sometimes had run-ins with the Twin Seeds Police Department due to various complaints about his usage of marijuana on patients and unorthodox practices, but he was an overall good guy. We usually had a few chats when I needed to pick up Uncle's medication or some Tylenol, so I got to know him a little well.

"Alright then, maybe we can go tomorrow in the morning or something? I know you're tired…" I began, but Uncle cut me off.

"No, that's fine. I need to get some exercise anyways. Plus, we're all out of Band-aids and Tylenol, so this is the prime opportunity to go. Just let me get a little relaxed and ready, okay?" I nodded and went back to my room, leaving Uncle to do what he needed.

I pushed the door to my room. Noting that the rusted doorknob still lay on the bed with the key jammed in it, I decided that it was probably best to go ahead and put the knob back in the door.

I grabbed the key-clogged doorknob off the bed and attempted to pull the key back out. Of course, since the knob itself came dislodged from the door, the key wouldn't budge.

"Dammit…" I cursed, throwing the knob back onto the bed. Rust stains now smeared sheets as the knob bounced off the bed and landed on the floor, rolling lazily on the carpeted floor before halting just slightly to the right of the nightstand adjacent to the bed.

I eyed several coins that lay upon the darkened wood of the nightstand, their lack-luster appearance removing most signs of value. Next to the coins lay a pendant of which my mother had given to me many years ago. Inside the pendant hid a picture of three individuals posing in a way very similar to that of 19th or 20th century Victorian portraits were: my mother, father, and me.

As I gazed at the portrait, the feelings of love, sadness, and resentment welled up within me. The pendant had been given to me by my parents as a birthday present many years ago, on my seventh birthday, to be exact. It was always there to remind me that there were good people in the world, people who cared. It was always there to remind me that things could change in an instant, that people could change in an instant, and lives could be turned upside-down.

I always thought that my father was the one who took my mother's life, but deep inside me, there was a kind of doubt. The last day that I had seen my father before being transported to prison would always burned into my memory, the look on everyone's face upon hearing the jury's verdict: guilty. My father's eyes pleaded and he denied everything, but the jury thought otherwise. I myself did not know what to believe. I knew my father, or at least I thought I did, and the man who I knew would never lie anything but a loving embrace upon my mother. But everything pointed to him, according to the prosecutors. I didn't know what to believe after that anymore, and I resented both my father and myself after that. Dr. Charles explained that feeling that kind of resentment was normal, but I didn't believe him, of course…

"Leon, you ready?" Uncle called from outside my door.

"Huh? O-oh yeah, I'm ready!" I announced back to him. I grabbed the coins off the desk and shoved them hastily into my pocket. I figured I could go ahead and get some candies or maybe even tools or something while I was out. I put the pendant around my neck, slipped on my shoes, and headed to the door.

Uncle was dressed in his night-watch uniform, and he had washed some of the dirt off of his face. He now sported a cleaner face and combed hair.

"Why are you wearing your uniform, Uncle?" I inquired. It was about an hour or so until he actually had to go to work…

"Well, I thought I might just go early today. Maybe get overtime or something," he said with a smile and a shrug. "Come on, the pharmacy is going to close soon."

I followed Uncle down the stairs and to the front door, which he had locked once we had gotten outside. The overgrown grass was consuming the stone pathway, along with ivy crawling up the sides of the apartment in intricate twists and curls. The streets were pretty deserted for a Saturday afternoon, but I really didn't care. I was with Uncle and we could actually have a conversation now rather than just a fleeting "hello" or "good night" upon passing each other in the apartment before he headed to work.

"So, what did you have to do today, Uncle?" I asked as we began our small journey to the pharmacy. "Normally, you're asleep during the day and then work at night…"

"Oh, well, I had a business meeting, and since the rest of the world operates during the day, I had to as well. Just stuff about payments and extensions. Business stuff." He explained with a great yawn. "But the meeting was kind of long, so I haven't caught up on much sleep as of late"

"Well, I could have gone by myself if you were tired, Uncle. I didn't want you to feel obligated to take me."

"No! Of course not! I'm honored to have a little bit more time with you! I know you're still in that school of yours and I have my night-watch, so it's always good to catch up on each others' lives."

"Well, you do have a point. By the way, how is the night-watch business going? Still boring as usual?" I asked as I pulled open the pharmacy door for Uncle. Uncle stopped in his tracks. "Hm? Oh, sorry, Uncle. I didn't mean to ask something you don't want to talk about…" I apologized.

"No… look, Leon," He muttered with a look of shock and confusion plastered on his face. I looked in the pharmacy, and saw what had thrown him awry.

Many of the shelves were tipped over with much of the medicinal merchandise and other various goods littering the checkered-tiled flooring. Some of the interior glass doors were smashed and some even torn off their hinges. There was blood splattered upon the walls, decorating them like some prison cell out of the bowels of Hell itself. There was a blood trail spattered on the floor and on some of the medicinal shelves leading straight to the back area of the store, where Dr. Charles would usually reside after hours or during his therapy sessions.

Upon one of the walls was painted, in blood, a ghastly figure, bearing a spiked head and six hands about it, a single menacing eye-like shape imprinted in the center of each hand. The figure had no body, but only a cloak-like garment floating behind the head. Above the head was written, "He is coming" in large, disfigured letters.

A chill ran up my spine once more. _Just like the other victims…_ "Dr. Charles? Are you here, Dr. Charles?" I screamed for him, praying for his voice to echo back from the store's interior. No such sound struck my ears, however. "Uncle, go call an ambulance or something! Dr. Charles!" I dashed about the store while Uncle ran to get an ambulance or a phone, whichever was simpler. I continued through, looking for some sort of clue, any hint of life within the morbid drug store.

A sound crawled from the back of the store: a combination between a moan and a hissing. I dashed to the back of the store, where the blood was pooling from under the door. Without thinking, I yanked the door open.

Dr. Charles was standing in the back, facing away from me, hovering over a mannequin. A chuckle echoed throughout the room as Dr. Charles faced me.

His face was splattered with dried blood, and a wicked smile seared across his face. He was holding his glasses in one hand, a scalpel in the other. Viscous red liquid dripped from his hands and onto the wooden floor as his now-empty eye sockets bleed profusely.

"Well there… another patient has arrived… did you hear that, Henry? We have a guessssssssst…" He hissed to the mannequin, which I soon realized was not a mannequin, but a man, dissected with a Glasgow smile arcing across his face, which had its eyes carved out.

Horrified, I backed away from the once-peaceful Dr. Charles, slipping on the pool of blood. Dr. Charles crushed his glasses in his hand, causing them to bleed more. He opened his fist to let the pieces of glass rain down onto the ground, and then showed me his palm: carved in the center was a menacing eye. Dr. Charles took the scalpel and placed the blade upon my neck.

"No… No, Dr. Charles! It's me! Leon!" I panicked, trying to convince him that I was not an enemy. "I come in here all the time! You know me!"

"Yessss… I know you… Wizeman knows, too…" Dr. Charles hissed, his demented smile curling like some rancid piece of food. "Yesssss… Wizeman is coming…" Dr. Charles then took the scalpel and plunged it into his own throat, dragging the instrument across his neck with a cackle of hysterical laughter. Unable to take anymore, I blacked out on the floor.


	6. Night 6

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 6**

Blackness… Empty space…

I couldn't move, couldn't see. I could hear voices… whispers… gibberish, really…

"Babi hippi doo?"

"Nai, malama ni cha ku…"

I then felt something poke my cheek softly. Twice, thrice. I groaned in response, groggy and tired.

"Kama chi ka mali de."

"Nai nanu, cha ji himu."

_**SMACK!**_ A sharp pain shot into my face. I sat up immediately.

"Owch! What the hell was that for?" I muttered bitterly, rubbing my cheek from the assault. My vision was still a bit cloudy; I was only able to make out various shades of green ahead and blue above. I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision.

Standing, or rather floating, in my line of vision were two floating pink creatures, resembling babies with fairy wings.

"…Nightopians?" I raised an eyebrow. Their sudden appearance could only mean that I was once again in the Dream World, or Night Dimension or whatever NiGHTS and Owl ca-

"NiGHTS! Owl! Oh My God, I completely forgot! Quick, where are they? What did that one guy do to NiGHTS? Are they ok?" Questions poured from my mouth as I knelt down and started desperately shaking one of the Nightopians. Its eyes began to swirl around like that of a cartoon character as its head was forcefully knocked back and forth while I shook it.

_KLONK!_ I let go of the little creature and doubled back, another pain shooting through my head. I opened an eye while the rest of my face was contorted in pain. One of the Nightopians hovered in the air, holding a thick branch in its stubby hands, while the other was trying to bring its friend back to consciousness.

"Ow… sorry…" I rubbed my head to soothe some of the pain. _For being in a dream, there's a lot of pain here…_

"Alright, let's start over. I'm Leon, one of NiGHTS's friends…" The little creatures simply looked up at me with a look of befuddlement. They then began to converse between themselves in that babbling alien speech, most likely trying to figure out what I was saying.

"Er… NiGHTS? Purple floppy hat? Tight outfit? Invisible flute?" I imitated the appearance of playing a flute to get my point across. At this gesture, the Nightopians appeared to understand as they shouted in glee and flew about.

"Awesome! Have you seen her?" I gestured more. The Nightopians suddenly stopped, and then two flew away while one pulled at my jacket, most likely trying to lead me to where NiGHTS was.

* * *

I followed them across the plains that stretched everywhere and into a misty forest. It was dark, but there was still luminescence on the ground and occasionally above me, light floating from… mushrooms? No… crystals shaped like mushrooms… A low humming echoed throughout the forest. It was strange; I felt calm and yet nervous at the same time.

We stopped just before a clearing. Surrounded by those crystalline mushrooms was a chain extending into the air, at the tip being some sort of cage-like structure that resembled a crudely-built gazebo. Inside that cage was…

"Ni-MPH!" Just as I had cried out to NiGHTS, the Nightopians had covered my mouth. As I began to pry them off, a moderately-sized creature scuttled past our line of vision. It resembled a scorpion, but with bright plates and scissor-like claws rather than classic pinchers. Its tail was a barbed dagger with a liquid dripping out; I noted that it was most-likely corrosive given that there were blackened areas where it had dripped.

"Scaropion. Nu Scaropion." One of the NiGHTmarens whispered. After it had passed, I scanned the area again. There was another creature floating about that looked like a seahorse, but distorted. Its mouth was more open-ended, like a bike horn, and it had butterfly's wings, its body painted a sickly green. A large bird with a small, black creature on its back stood on a rock, preening its brilliant magenta feathers. The little creature on the bird's back was tossing a key back and forth.

'_That's gotta be the key for that cage NiGHTS is in…'_ I sat against a tree, facing away from the clearing. "Three enemies: a scorpion, seahorse, and bird. That bird's got the key for NiGHTS's cage. But I can't get that bird just yet, I've got to take out those other baddies… But how…" I pondered the thought. Sure, in the real world it would be easier since I would be in my own environment. Here, however, I was just as unfamiliar with my area as I was to those Nightopians. I had no idea wha-

_**HIIISSSS! VISSITORRRR!**_ I jumped up at the threat I had heard as the Scaropion jabbed at me with the barbed stinger. I narrowly dodged the attack, with the stinger plunging into the tree. The tree quickly turned from a healthy brown into a dead black-green and toppled over. The Nightopians flailed about, squealing in their gibberish language. The large bird and floating seahorse perked at the sounds of intruders, and leaped into action. NiGHTS perked up from in her cage and peered out the gaps to see what the ruckus was. She gasped. "LEON!"

I grabbed a nearby branch in an attempt to try and scare off the Scaropion. "Ha! Not so tough when you're not being all sneaky, eh?" I spat cockily, feigning assault after assault to drive the Nightmaren back. The Scaropion gave an exasperated hiss and snatched the stick with its claws. It then promptly snapped it in half and cast the pieces aside.

_**Hiissss… Givvve up, sssmall fry.**_ The Scaropion jabbed several more times at me, barely missing each time. The seahorse Nightmaren was busy chasing the Nightopians about while the bird and its master cackled at our evasive dances.

"Leon! Seapo! Seapo!" The Nightmarens screamed as they flailed about to escape the beast. Obviously, I was a little busy at the moment dealing with my own problems, but I couldn't leave them alone with that thing.

The Seapo then inhaled deeply and sucked one of the Nightopians into its proboscis. The Nightopian squealed in protest, but was promptly silenced with a _CRUNCH_! I was frozen, horrified at the action that had just occurred. NiGHTS gasped and put her hands to her mouth in shock. The proboscis of the Seapo now dripped red fluid as it howled in laughter. That was the final straw for me.

I backed up toward the Seapo while it was distracted with its ego, all while leading the Scaropion. The Scaropion reared its ugly head, snapped its tail back, and shot forward. With a timed leap, I dodged the giant bug once more as it plunged its stinger into the Seapo.

The Seapo writhed in pain and promptly began to bite the Scaropion. It retched and vomited. The Scaropion tried and tried again to remove its stinger, but only ended up pumping more viscous poison into the Nightmaren, all while taking hit after bloody hit from the Seapo. Finally, the Seapo crunched down on the Scaropion's head and died, its body dissolving in a thick mass of rotting flesh. The Scaropion then keeled over as well from taking several hits from its comrade.

I was exhausted. The consistent dodging and leaping out of danger from the Scaropion had brought me to a heaving stop. I knelt to catch my breath.

"Leon! Look out!" NiGHTS warned.

Blunt force smacked me in the side and knocked me down. My lungs caved in and expelled all the precious air out. I grabbed my abdomen.

The large bird towered over me, looking down menacingly at my contorted body. The master chuckled and dangled the key in front of my face to taunt me.

"_Looking for this, fool?"_ said a voice. I looked up in confusion. It wasn't the jockey talking, but rather the bird itself. It sneered.

"_Sorry, no Visitors allowed,"_ the bird kicked me, knocking me a bit of a distance. It trotted up to me once again.

"Goodle! Hao naj mali ka ku erena!" The Goodle turned its head to the source of the childish outburst.

The Nightopians flew at the Goodle and slammed into its jockey. The Goodle screeched in surprise while the jockey dropped the key. With air finally rushing back into my lungs, I snagged the key and started up the gravity-defying chain.

"Hold on, NiGHTS! I'm coming!" I shouted. The Nightopians flitted about and distracted the Goodle as it pranced about crazily. It squawked in fury as the little fairies dodged every attempt at a kill, laughing the whole time.

I reached the bottom of the cage and shoved the key into the hole and turned it. With a click and a bang, the cage crumbled apart. NiGHTS flew out of the cage and grabbed the Goodle, then flung it into the air. It squawked and screeched in panic.

NiGHTS then flew around the Nightmaren in a circle, and a type of hole in space formed. It sucked the Goodle in, both the jockey and bird screaming. With a pop, the Goodle was gone and glitter rained down upon us. I smirked.

"Nice job, NiGHTS!" I complimented.

"Of course! What did you expect?" NiGHTS soaked up every bit of praise. "Though I can't exactly say the same about you. You should have seen the way you were flailing about down there! Priceless!" She laughed and smirked at me.

_Wow, I save your life and you make fun of me? Next time I'll let you do the work…_I held back my anger behind an irritated smile. I then noticed something was missing…

"NiGHTS, where's Owl? Did he go back to the Dream Plaza?" I asked. "I didn't see him when I came to the Night Dimension, and I didn't enter through the Dream Plaza."

NiGHTS was troubled at that point. She looked away with a upset look. "Owl… They took Owl, Leon. We need to get the old bird back."

I firmly nodded. Owl was just a much of a friend as NiGHTS was here, so we wouldn't leave him behind. The two Nightopians fluttered up to us, apparently ready to assist us in our journey to save our friend.

"So, where did they head off to, NiGHTS?"

"Deeper into the Misty Mire. A couple of Reala and Wizeman's goonies took him while they took me down." NiGHTS explained. "I'm not sure what they want with him, though. Wizeman sends his henchmen after me…" She flew through area ahead of me as I ran after her with the two Nightopians following up.

"Well, whatever the case, we're gonna get Owl back, one way or another."

* * *

The scenery had grown dark and more grotesque, lifeless stumps and shattered trees replacing the once-healthy overgrowth of the forest I first entered. The overgrowth of vines and moss had clawed its way up the remaining trees and blotted out most of the light. There were no longer any crystalline mushrooms dotting the ground to provide much ground visibility, so I found myself stumbling about.

"You know, it would be a lot easier if you would just dualize with me, Leon," NiGHTS piped up, noticing my struggles.

"Yeah, I know. But I can't remember?" I responded, tripping over another hidden object. The ground had appeared to become less solid with every step.

"Well, why don't we try again? Maybe we can now that we're out of the Dream Plaza." She flew down to me and held out her hand, awaiting my acknowledgement. I brought my hand up and touched it to hers, palm-to-palm.

…

Nothing...

I sighed as NiGHTS took my hand and pulled me up out of the mire that had sucked my leg down. Thick black gunk coated the lower part of my left leg.

"Well… at least these aren't jeans I actually care about, or my only pair, at least," I tried to make light of the situation.

Another clearing began to appear. A large chunk of the land was liquefied into a vat of thick, black mire. A handful of rotting trees were toppled over at least broken. Stringy moss decorated the carcasses, drooping down over the edges and twisting with devilish curls. There were four guards stationed around a log angled over the mire pit, with Owl suspended over the pit by a crude vine loop tied around his bony leg.

"There he is. We gotta get him down from there." I muttered, but then stopped. "But what are we going to do about those guys?" I pointed at the guards. I recognized a Goodle and a Seapo, but the other two were just as alien to me as everything else here I had run into.

They were strange bipeds with no arms and white bodies that seemed to bounce around and shiver, resembling a mouse with some sort of disease.

"Snips. Nasty little buggers. They're quite cold, if you catch my drift" NiGHTS muttered to me. I took note of them, casting aside NiGHTS's comment as some sort of Nightopian way of telling a joke.

"Ok, I can probably take out that Seapo easily. You little Nightopians can distract the Snips. NiGHTS, since we can't dualize yet and you're the only one that can fly right now, you head for the Goodle and get that key." Our team broke and we charged into the clearing.

The Goodle, tried to fly off, just as predicted. NiGHTS flew after the lanky bird. The Nightopians distracted the Snips the same way they distracted the previous Seapo: flailing about and screaming.

The Seapo here, though, was my job. I dashed forward and tackled the beast, grabbing its proboscis to prevent its suction attack. Spinning around, I twirled the terrestrial seahorse about to try and make it dizzy. It slipped out of my grasp and tumbled across the clearing.

_**KRACK!**_

The Seapo smacked into a rotting tree and bounced into the black mire pit. Groggily and somewhat cartoonishly, the seahorse's head nodded back and forth as the decayed tree it slammed into crashed on top of it.

I then turned my attention to the Snips. Obviously, the Nightopians were not fighters, so I had to help them out. I didn't want to risk another incident like the one before. But these things were just bouncing around; how could they do any kind of damage?

I ran after the Snip closest to me and brought my hand down to try and grab it. My hand was met with a blade of cold feeling piercing through my skin.

"YEOWCH!" I yanked my hand back instinctively as the Snip turned its attention to me. It squeaked and shot icicles into the air, one shooting just past my head. Soon enough, I was the one running from the Snip as it chased me about, shooting icicles.

"Stay back! Get away!" I yelled at the mouse creature as it bounced after me.

Closer.  
Closer still.

With my good hand, I picked up another stick and swung at the beast in a back-hand motion. The stick collided with the Snip's skull. It went sailing off into another tree and exploded in a sea of glitter.

"Alright! This should work just…" I looked at the weapon I just used. It was now broken in two, the tip dangling from a thin piece of string moss. I cast aside the broken stick and dashed after the other Snip chasing the Nightopians.

With a great charge, I punted the furry icicle beast into the air and another tree, another glittery pop sounding through the forest.

"Hoo! Thank goodness you're alright, Leon! I thought something terrible happened to you on our last encounter! Hoo!" Owl called to me, apparently conscious now. I scuttled up the tree and reeled Owl to safety just as NiGHTS reappeared from the sky.

"You ok, Owl?" She inquired as she brushed debris off him.

"Yes yes, I am quite alright. Leon here proved himself to be quite the fighter in dispatching those horrid Nightmaren," Owl patted me on the back with his feathery wing. I smirked sheepishly.

"You should have seen him back when he came to get me! He was just as bad at fighting as the Nightopians were!" NiGHTS giggled again, spinning in the air. The Nightopians were giggling as well. I glared more daggers at them.

"Anyways, why did Reala and the Nightmarens take you away too?" I asked him. "NiGHTS said they never usually bothered with you before…"

Owl opened his beak to explain when suddenly the forest shook. I looked up as more tremors sounded, getting louder and louder with each shockwave. A dark shadow rose from behind some of the dead trees surrounding the clearing, then knocked them down completely with a crash.

Standing in the new opening was a large, bear-like creature with the head of a lizard. Its arms were long and tipped with two razor claws at each end. A loose flap of skin dangled from around its neck as its chest glowed red from an embedded jewel. Spikes rose from its upper arms and spine, running along down to the long tail it dragged across the ground. Its eyes burned with fury. It opened its maw to reveal row upon row of thin, pointed teeth. The skin around its neck flared up to a stiff frill, and the creature roared.


	7. Night 7

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 7**

I stared at the creature as it stomped toward us. Its tail swayed from side to side, knocking down the dead trees behind it. The creature roared again and flared its frill.

"W-w-what the hell is _THAT _thing?" I shouted to NiGHTS as I backed up from the monstrosity.

The beast snarled and ripped a rotting tree from the ground. Dirt sprayed from the roots and into the air. The beast swung the tree at NiGHTS, only to miss.

"Nightmaren! Rank 2, by the looks of it!" NiGHTS yelled back to me.

"Geez, how am I supposed to beat _that_?" I muttered to myself. This thing was huge, at least twice or thrice the size of myself. Its large scaly head hissed, the frill flaring up in anger.

The beast swung the dead tree once again, this time in my direction. With a quick leap, I barely managed to dodge the heavy attack. As I got up, I was instantly smacked by its tail into one of the surrounding trees.

"Oof!" A sudden crack echoed. _Oh god… my back?_ I couldn't move, and feared the worst from the deafening crack. Was my back broken?

"Leon! Are you okay?" NiGHTS called to me, narrowly dodging the beast's mad attacks in the air.

The tree I smacked into then fell over backwards, with me along with it. _Ok, so it was just the tree… still, ouch…_ I sat up and winced in pain. The rotting wood was splintered all over my clothes. I was seeing stars as I tried to gather my senses. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again.

I then noticed the stars I was seeing were… actually there. They danced about around my head as I plucked one from the air. It twinkled and shimmered in my hand. "What in the world…" I then shook my head. Now was not the time!

The monstrosity, now angrier, roared once again. It smashed the tree it was swinging about into the ground, sending a shockwave towards me.

A quick dodge saved my life once again, but as I stood up, I saw that the beast was charging straight at me. No leap of faith could save me this time. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact as the thudding got closer and closer, signaling my doom.

…

…?

I peeked open an eye, wondering where the sudden force that would have killed me was at. What I saw was an open sky over the Misty Mire, where the creature roared in confusion. I looked around in wonder.

"You ok, Leon?" I heard in my ear. I looked behind me and saw that NiGHTS was holding me up in the air.

"You… save me. A couple more minutes and I would have been a pancake! Thank you!" I exclaimed, panting from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

"Consider it repayment for saving me back there!" NiGHTS smiled and flew us back down to the ground. "Now let's take down this big furry beast!" I nodded in return, and then faced the monster.

It roared at us and flared its frill up again, baring its fangs. The red jewel in its chest glowed.

The two little Nightopians began to throw small rocks and objects at the creature, which only irritated it further. It turned to then and screeched in their faces, the sheer force of the sound flinging them away. It then turned back to NiGHTS and I.

Its lizard-like head snarled, the frill flaring up. It roared and spat at us. NiGHTS easily flew out of the way of its saliva while I struggled to dodge it, landing on one knee.

Kneeling, I looked at where the spit had just hit near me. The ground and vegetation sizzled, smoked, blackened, and died. I grimaced and held back my fear. _Better watch out for that gunk…_

The beast then thundered toward us with its claws raised and frill flared. NiGHTS dodged the behemoth again with an agile swoop, while I clumsily leapt out of the way.

The beast anticipated this, apparently, and swung its tail against me, smacking me down. My body thumped against the soil. My mouth filled with the thick metallic flavor of my own blood.

"Ugh… That freaking… hurt…" I muttered as I raised my head to see the attacker, looming over me with its eye full of fury and mouth full of teeth and acid. The red jewel embedded within its chest glowed brightly as it roared once more. Its maw gapped open and lunged forward.

NiGHTS flew between the behemoth and I and stopped it with a mighty kick to the creature's eye. It screeched in pain, stumbling about and clutching its face. I forced myself up as it lumbered about. Several more tree corpses were knocked down.

I coughed up a little more of my life into my own hand.

"Are you ok, Leon?" NiGHTS asked worriedly. I gave a weak smile in return and wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve.

"Yeah, I might be fine…" I turned to the creature's direction, where it was still clutching its face while the Nightopians resumed throwing small objects at it. "But how the hell can we beat that thing… I mean, it's just pure power, and I'm running out of steam…"

The bright red jewel in the creature glowed as it turned around back toward us, swatting the Nightopians out of the way with it large, furry arm. It opened its bloodied eye. NiGHTS had apparently popped the eyeball itself, as it was now just a fleshy, bloody hole with slight bits of eye remaining. As the jewel continued to glow, however, the eye-hole began to clear up and the eye bits collected. It then refilled, the beast blinked, and its eye was returned to normal.

"I don't believe it… did it just _regenerate its eye?_" I gasped in shock. It eye was completely repaired. Renewed. Regenerated. And it was pissed off now more than ever. "Jeez, is there anything this thing _can't_ do?"

"I don't know, but we better find out what we need to do, and fast!" NiGHTS floated backwards in a fighting stance. "As long as that thing has that jewel, it looks like it can just repair itself over and over!"

I planted my left foot behind me to ground myself. "Yeah, no ki-" I stopped midsentence. That thing used the jewel to repair itself. _So if it didn't have the jewel… _"NiGHTS! The jewel in its chest! We've gotta get rid of that!"

"Yeah, you're right!" NiGHTS turned to me and nodded confidently. "Let's do it!"

"Hoo! Count me in!" A familiar voice chimed from behind us. Owl was flying with his talons ready, a look of determination in his eyes. He puffed out a ball of smoke. The Nightopians were right beside him, carrying makeshift axes out of sticks and rocks. I picked up a large stick in my right hand.

"Alright, guys. Let's take this thing out!" I shouted as it thundered toward us with its teeth bared and claws readied. We dashed at it with just as much determination within our hearts.

NiGHTS spun in a spiral-like fashion and slammed into the monster's chest like a drill. The creature recoiled as NiGHTS was bounced off. The Nightopians fluttered up to the stunned creature and smacked the eyes with the crude axes, slight amounts of blood pooling up. The creature roared in pain and clutched its face again. It doubled back into the murky pit; the mire sucked in its foot and clasped it tight.

Owl flew up to the beast and slashed at its skull with his talons. It screeched in pain again as the jewel glowed brightly.

I dashed at the monster, stick in hand. 20 feet. 15 feet. I leapt up and raised the stick high. With a fiery determination, I thrust the stick at the beast's jewel.

The stick splintered at the center, part of it shooting back into my palm and piercing straight through my hand. A spray of blood spattered through the back of my hand and up my arm.

"GAAAH!" I dropped the remainder stick and fell backwards. Crimson liquid dripped down my fingers as I stumbled backwards. I grabbed the stick, but instantly let go as pain seared through it again. "Ugh… dammit!" I backed up and from the beast, clutching my wrist. _That jewel's rock-solid. How can we take it out?_

The monster then reared its head and shook the Nightopians off, sending then tumbling through the air like gnats. It swung its massive arms about wildly. Owl was backhanded by the beast, while NiGHTS was smacked down onto the ground with the giant paw pinning her down.

"Oof! Get… off!" NiGHTS struggled to escape from the beast's grip, but to no avail.

"NiGHTS!" I ripped the splintered wood out of my hand, repressing the pain as more crimson liquid sprayed out, and dashed at the monstrous creature to take it out. It roared and smacked me away once more.

"Leon! Help!" NiGHTS cried as the monster prepared to strike the final fatal blow.

Something inside me snapped that night. Whether it was the cry for help of a good friend or the frustration of being helpless was unknown, but something changed. I stood up and clenched my bloodied hand, and it healed like the beast had done before. I grabbed another stick and flicked my wrist to the side. The stick glowed and transformed into a long sword with a double-edged blade.

The shimmering of the blade had apparently transfixed the creature and halted it before it could finish NiGHTS off. It looked up and hissed at me. The frill flared and the creature spat its acid at me. I slashed in the air with the newfound blade, splitting the acid into two globs that hissed through the air. Small droplets landed on my clothes and face, sizzling slightly.

I dashed towards the beast, sword readied and determination fiery. It lifted its free claw and slashed at me, nicking my chest as it tore through my shirt. Its arm was free, and I took the opening: I slashed at its elbow and sliced through its thick fur and skin. Bright red filled the air, dying the blade edge. The beast roared in pain and released NiGHTS, who promptly flew up and away to assist Owl.

A stare-down ensued, the beast against me. The slits of its eyes narrowed, its claws readied. I flicked my blade to rid it of excess blood.

The monster roared and thundered towards me. I returned the favor by dashing at it with the sword in position. The beast thundered closer. Closer. Closer still.

_SWASH!_

I stood with my sword straight out toward my side, with my strike finished. The beast was in a finished stance as well, its paw at the ground. Heavy breathing came from the two of us. I dropped to one knee as my left arm was now cut deep with the claw marks. The monster also dropped down, face first, as its torso bleed into the mire's damp soil and grass.

"Leon! Are you ok!" NiGHTS flew over to me, with Owl and the Nightopians in close pursuit. I nodded and dropped my sword to hold my arm. The sword vanished in a glitter of white light.

"Hoo! That was rather intense, young lad!" Owl nodded as he inspected my wound. It had cut rather deep, but otherwise average. I would need stitches. That is, if this were the real world.

NiGHTS flew about in an excited fashion. "That was amazing, Leon! You sure showed that thing who's the boss, eh? How's you do that, anyways? What was that you did? Can you do it again?" NiGHTS bombarded me with question after question.

"To be honest, _I'm_ not even sure of what I did. It just… happened." I flexed my hand to make sure that the hole was gone. I had managed to conjure something into existence, and completely heal an otherwise incapacitating wound in my good hand.

"Hoo… Well, perhaps we should head back to the Dream Plaza for right now… I feel that there is some explaining I should do… And we can get you checked out better there, hoo." Owl murmured, blowing some smoke as he inspected more of my wounds. NiGHTS and I nodded, as did the Nightopians. I stood up as NiGHTS and Owl hovered with the Nightopians, and we made our way to exit the Misty Mire, not noticing the missing body of the behemoth we had just faced.


	8. Night 8

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 8**

We arrived at a large doorway in the middle of an open field just outside the Misty Mire. The doorway was same as that of the one I had used to enter Nightopia before, ornate and intricately carved of stone. _Looks the same as the other one… _I looked behind it once more for good measure, as I had done before. It seemingly lead to nowhere but the other side of the field._ Eeyup… exactly the same._ My face fell to a slightly annoyed grimace.

I turned back and saw the two remaining Nightopians flitting about NiGHTS and Owl. NiGHTS was sprinkling the twinkle dust about while Owl chuckled. They looked happy that NiGHTS was safe, despite the loss they suffered. I shuddered at the horror I had seen in that one Nightopian's face just before it met its doom.

"NiGHTS! Owl! Are we going?" I inquired. Owl looked up and nodded in approval.

"NiGHTS, perhaps it's time to go, hoo," he said, taking a puff from his pipe.

"Hmph, Fine. I wanted to make sure these two weren't _traumatized_ too badly," NiGHTS spun one of the Nightopians about, "but it looks like they're fine for now."

The two Nightopians giggled and flitted about, circling us and then flying off to a nearby meadow. I grabbed the door handle as NiGHTS and Owl floated over to my position. I made one quick glance back to make sure we were alone. I didn't want that other guy to pop up again, that "Reala" guy. I turned the handle and pushed the door open as blinding light exploded from the archway.

* * *

I kneeled over onto the grass in pain, my eyes still adjusting to the substantial level of dimness in the Dream Plaza. My stomach churned and I vomited as I heard NiGHTS howl in laughter. A loud crash sounded and a flop into the grass followed. Owl floated down to where I was kneeling, placing his wing on my shoulder.

"I apologize, Leon. I should have warned you about that, hoo," Owl muttered as I wiped my mouth and nose. "It takes most Visitors a while to get used to traveling back to the Dream Plaza from Nightopia. And considering the amount of work you did, there's no wonder that you're going to feel a tad bit ill on your first official visit back, hoo!"

"Bluh… Thanks, I guess." I spat into the grass one last time to rid myself of the foul taste and turned to NiGHTS. She was lying on the grass, still giggling, though she now sported a cartoonishly-large bump on her head. "And what the hell are you laughing at?!" I flustered as NiGHTS floated back up and brushed herself off.

"Hahaha! _You_, of course! All that tough work you put out, then puking at the return to the Plaza! Priceless! HA!" NiGHTS laughed once more.

"Oh yeah, like you were a lot of help! I had to stave off those stupid things just to get your sorry butt free of that cage!" I spouted back.

"NiGHTS! Leon! Now isn't the time to start a debate over something this trivial, hoo!" Owl squawked. NiGHTS and I gave a quick glare, and then turned away from each other. Owl gave a sigh and floated down, landing on the concrete edge of the fountain in the center. He took another puff of his pipe. "Leon, I suppose I should tell you what has been happening for some time. Perhaps you should sit."

I sat on a nearby stone bench as NiGHTS floated down and sat next to me. Owl inhaled deeply from his pipe, then exhaled a thick dark cloud of smoke into our faces like some sort of shamanistic ritual. My vision blackened as I coughed the acrid smoke out. I could hear NiGHTS doing the same next to me.

* * *

As I opened my eyes again, I could see that we were floating in a black abyss, no longer sitting on our bench. Owl was in front of us but much larger and in the background of the blackness. He began to weave his wings back and forth, up and down, and every combination imaginable generating different colors of smoke from his feather tips.

He began to form two serpentine-like figures, one yellow with wings, and one with several spidery legs. Each was twisting about in the smoky abyss.

"Long ago, before your world or ours, Leon, there were two powerful beings. Suinam…" The winged serpent flew about. "…and Oireino." The legged one spun. "These beings were both different and the same, one and all at once."

"Out of curiosity, they created two worlds for their prized creation to revel in." A red figure emerged between the two. The Suinam smoke spun in a swirl to create a yellow circle. The Oireino smoke twisted into a dark blue disk.

"Each of these worlds was presented to the creation. Suinam had created a light and beautiful world, bound by law and order. Oireino had created a darker and spiritual world, filled with potential for the creation. The creation chose the world of Suinam, one of light and law." The figure pointed at the yellow smoke ball, and the blue orb morphed into a hideous dragon, snapping at the yellow. The yellow dissipated and reformed as another dragon snarling back.

"Oireino, in a jealous rage, claimed Suinam as a cheater and attacked her. This brought upon a fierce war in which both sides fought each other with inhabitants and creations of their own worlds. This continued on until the creation chose to fight for Suinam. This allowed Suinam to overtake Oireino and seal him in his own created world." The red figure crossed with the yellow dragon, and both knocked the blue down, forcing it into the blue circle it was once before. The red figure then stepped to the yellow, which turned into a yellow disk in which the figure inhabited.

"For a time, everything was fine. The descendents of the Creation lived in peace on the plane that Suinam had created in peace. As time had passed, however, the children of the Creation began to behave strangely during their slumbers, and appeared different upon awakening." Several smaller red figures in the yellow disk began to behave and act weird, twitching and fighting each other.

"Suinam investigated this incident, and discovered that Oireino was corrupting the souls of the Creations upon their slumber. Once more, Suinam and Oireino were driven to war." The yellow and blue circle morphed back into the draconic beings, diving at each other in hostility.

"Once more, Suinam forced Oireino back into his own world." The blue dragon morphed back into a circle, but the yellow began to wilt as wisps floated away. "Suinam, however, was mortally wounded during this battle. With her last breath, she embodied her spirit into the souls of the Creations, giving them the powers that she had once held and used."

The red figure glowed a light, hazy color, and five glowing lights surrounded it, each a different color: White, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red. "This power was known as Ideya, and, when concentrated, took five different forms. The White was Purity, the reflection of a pure heart. The Blue was Intelligence, the symbol of knowledge. The Green was Growth, the stimulation of the future. The Yellow was Hope, the light within darkness. The Red was Courage, the power to overcome fear. These powers gave the Creations the power to overcome Oireino's influences."

The blue disk transformed back into the dragon-like creature, its head drooping. "Oireino was wracked with confliction of his feelings. On one hand, he had finally defeated Suinam. But on the other, he had realized he destroyed the only true thing that had ever loved him. Nothing, not even his own world, would love him like Suinam had."

The Suinam shadow then split into two separate entities. One was a creature with arms set high above its head and short feet below; the other was a cloaked figure with a spiked helm and six floating hands. "These conflicting feelings literally tore Oireino into two pieces, each embodying different emotions and feelings from the original being: Slott and Wizeman. Slott became the embodiment of the love in Oireino's heart, whereas Wizeman was the hatred. Each took charge of Oireino's world, Slott reigning over Nightopia, and Wizeman over the realm of Nightmare."

The smoke began to fade and disappear, revealing the Dream Plaza once more.

* * *

I wiped my eyes a bit and looked around. Owl was perched in a nearby tree, smoking his pipe. NiGHTS was sprawled on the ground, snoring loudly. I smacked her awake quickly and turned back to Owl.

"Okay, that's all great and wonderful, but I already knew this. That was a story to explain the origins of dreams back in my world. What does that have to do with what's going on?" I asked Owl.

Owl hovered down to our level and looked at us. "Yes, Leon. I'm sure that you've heard the story. It was made sure to have been passed down both in our world and in yours. Hoo!" He puffed a bit of smoke out his nostrils. "Now, I've told you about the Ideya in that story, which is the main focus of the problem at hand. You see, when visitors come to Nightopia, they have the five Ideya within their spirits. But when they enter the world of Nightmare, their Ideya are at stake, as Wizeman and his Nightmarens have the ability to steal the Ideya."

"He's been at it for as long as I can remember, and probably longer than that, as well." NiGHTS piped up. "He uses the power of the Ideya to bend this world to his bidding and make himself and his goonies stronger. In the case of powerful dreamers, he has high-level Nightmaren guard the Ideya so as to protect them from the dreamers."

"Okay, so you're saying that my Ideya have been taken from me and that I need to get them back? That shouldn't be too hard." I answered back. It was just like some sort of game: beat the bosses and get the treasures. I then had a spark of revelation. "Was this the 'filtering' that you were talking about last time? The thing that keeps certain dreamers out of Nightopia? Wizeman's theft of dreamers' Ideya?"

NiGHTS nodded solemnly. "Yeah, that's right. When Wizeman tries to take a dreamers' Ideya, he either snags all of them and a little bit of Red Ideya, or the Red Ideya is so strong it remains in the dreamer. If that is the case, then the dreamer ends up here in the Dream Plaza and Nightopia. If he only gets a little bit of the Red Ideya, then the dreamers are sent back to their world with only fragments of the memory of this world. These are what dreams really are." NiGHTS looked away. "So we don't get many people here because many have lost touch with their Ideya."

"There is a problem, though. When dreamers enter this realm, even if their Ideya is stolen, there is one that cannot be removed from a living Visitor: the Red Ideya of Courage. This Ideya is so strong that it cannot be easily taken by the likes of Wizeman's forces. Hoo!" Owl flew about me and settled down onto the ground, tapping a talon rhythmically. "The Red Ideya of Courage allows dreamers to dualize with NiGHTS, becoming one with her."

NiGHTS nodded and pointed to her chest. In the center, the red gem glimmered lightly as though it was emanating its own light. "You see, this is a shard of a Red Ideya. Whenever I want to dualize with a dreamer and they do too, then our Ideya synchronize and we become one."

"However, it appears that you cannot dualize with NiGHTS, even though you are here in Nightopia. Which means…" Owl trailed off.

"That my Red Ideya… was stolen?! All of it?!" I exclaimed in surprise. "B-but you just said that the Red Ideya can't be taken!"

"True, but there was once another case of this happening. Several years ago, there was a pair of Visitors who had ventured here into the Dream Plaza: William Taylor and Helen Cartwright. These two dreamers helped NiGHTS put a stop to one of Wizeman's nefarious plans. However, during the incident, Helen's Red Ideya was briefly stolen from her by Wizeman himself. But because William was in Nightopia as well, he managed to help Helen regain her courage, and subsequently her Ideya." Owl exhaled another burst of smoke from his beak.

"So, I can get my Ideya back, right?! It's not that big of a deal?" I inquired quickly. Owl put his wing up in a manner implying him wanting me to shut up.

"I don't know. We've never had this kind of incident before, a dreamer without _any_ Ideya for an extended period of time. You shouldn't even _be_ here. A living Visitor without any Ideya shouldn't _exist_! Hoohoo!" Owl explained. "Dreamers _always_ have Ideya."

_A living Visitor without any Ideya shouldn't _exist_!... A living Visitor without any Ideya… living…_ "Hold on a second, you two aren't making any sense, Owl. You specified 'living' in your explanations a lot. I would think that 'living' would be implied. I mean, it's not like a dreamer's going to be _dead_!" I looked to Owl, then to NiGHTS. They both avoided my gaze. "…Guys?"

"Leon, that's one of the big problems here. A dreamer without any Ideya can't exist because all dreamers' souls have Ideya. If you don't have any Ideya, then you're not even _alive_!" NiGHTS exclaimed.


	9. Night 9

NiGHTmare

Night 9

_No… no, what?! DEAD?!_ I was taken aback, as I can imagine anyone would be.

"D-DEAD?! That's ridiculous! I can't be dead! I'm here right now!" I exclaimed, taking a step back. "If I were dead, how am I here right now?! I wouldn't be able to dream! I wouldn't be here!" I stumbled back and fell flat on my rear.

"Leon, calm down! I'm sure that there's a reason for all this!" NiGHTS said. She tried to reach out to me, but I pushed her hand away, clutching my head in disbelief.

_Nononononono, I can't be dead! This isn't possible! No, NO!_

Thunder sounded throughout the plaza as the ground shook with each echo. Owl and NiGHTS looked around while I continued to panic. The occasional lightning bolt cracked the sky.

"W-what in the world?!" NiGHTS exclaimed, narrowly dodging a stray bolt of lightning.

"It must be Leon! His dream is collapsing!" Owl hooted as he dodged a bolt with a loud squawk.

I looked up just in time to see a bright flash of lightning strike me, erasing my world instantly.

* * *

I gasped as light blinded me. Whiteness surrounded me as the muttering of doctors and nurses faded in and out, alternating with a high-pitched ringing in my ears. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could make out that I was in a hospital room, hooked up to lots of medical equipment, complete with a breathing tube. The doctors quickly came over to me and gave me a quick look over, then checked the heart monitor. One scribbled on a pad of paper while a nurse sauntered over to me with a needle. My senses were beginning to fade: my vision blurred again along with my hearing. I could only barely make out what they were saying.

"It looks … signs of reco… y, which … quite re… kable… being able … ba… at point…"

"The defib…ator … his heart again, but … anaphylaxis … hold. …him a shot of epinephrine… be sure."

"Yes sir. How…"

"Enough to… stabilized, … doesn't go under. He … be awake right… to recov..."

"Alri… Leon, you're go… el some wei… ings…"

A prick entered my thigh and suddenly every sense in my body began to surge. My eyes instantly focused, every sound became deafening, and I could taste the staleness in the air as I gasped again. Every color became intensified to brighter than they were supposed to be, and twitched at every sound. Everything seemed to almost go in slow motion as my eyes darted around the room. The rush of energy shot through my body as the nurse removed the needle from my body.

I could see two doctors and one nurse, the breathing apparatus and IV along with a heart monitor. The room was blindingly white with a single window through which light pierced. My hair was spattered with some blood as my skin, though my clothing had been cut off. I could feel the blood pumping through my system and every breath I took sounded like the gust of a tornado.

"It looks like the epinephrine is taking effect. Swelling seems to be going down and blood pressure is increasing. He may need another injection to keep him conscious eventually. Leon, can you hear me?" One of the doctors asked. I nodded my head as calmly as I could.

"Leon, you were in an accident. You're at Twin Seeds Hospital in the emergency ward. There was an incident down at the pharmacy. Do you remember that?"

I wished I couldn't. The tension, the blood, the chaos, and that horrible thing that I can only assume was Dr. Charles. I nodded my head once more as the doctor with the notepad began writing once again.

"The police are going to need to ask you a few questions soon, but first we need to do some work. You were exposed to an allergen back at the pharmacy. You're allergic to Codeine, correct?" The doctor asked me.

Codeine… that's right. I was allergic to Codeine. Apparently it's a type of drug like morphine, but more for coughs and stuff like that. I nodded my head once more, and the doctor with the notepad scribbled again.

"You had a large amount of codeine in your system from your incident at the pharmacy. It was introduced through a cut on your arm," he said as he gestured toward my left arm. I looked over at it.

There was an area just above my elbow that was rather red and swollen, probably what the doctor was referring to. A long scab was in the center of the swollen lump. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

I also looked up to see, outside the window on the door, was my uncle. He was talking with the police and gesturing with his hands. He tends to do that sometimes and hardly ever realizes it. Some people find it distracting, while others find it funny and amusing. I think of it as both.

"You're a lucky young man, Leon. If your uncle hadn't called in when he did, you would have been a goner. You were in a near-dead state when you were brought in because of the amount of Codeine in your system," the doctor stated.

_Near-dead… that probably explains why neither Owl nor NiGHTS could sense any Ideya in me._ It was possible. Of course, why I would be considered soulless at that point didn't make any sense. How could I have not had a soul? I shuddered at the idea.

"Okay, Leon. We're going to be doing some more medical therapy to get that codeine out of your system and you back to normal. Unfortunately, we need you awake for this. But we can give you anesthetics so you won't feel a thing and some medication to help you block the visions, once the epinephrine wears off, of course." The doctor addressing me turned to the other one with the notepad and gestured toward him. He quickly walked out of the room and went to talk to Uncle, probably about what just happened.

I looked over toward where Uncle was standing. He was talking to the notepad doctor and crossing his arms, subtly nodding his head every couple of seconds. He gave an exasperated sigh and sat down as the notepad doctor walked back into the room.

"He's give his consent. We'll perform the therapy once the epinephrine injection wears down."

* * *

I'm not sure how much time passed. It felt like a couple minutes but it was probably closer to several hours. I don't remember much of what happened, but I can only imagine.

I was sitting at a table, a booth specifically, with Uncle sitting in the seat across from me. We appeared to be in a restaurant, as there was a plate of spaghetti sitting in front of me, spattered with tomato sauce, meat, cheese, and hot sauce. Next to it, a half-full cup of cola sat, sweating condensation on the table.

"What do you mean, Leon?" Uncle asked.

"W… what?" I muttered, my mind clearing up. "W… what is this? I don't even… like hot sauce… or even spaghetti…" I pushed the plate of spaghetti away.

"You were just telling me about your dreams, that's all." Uncle responded.

I looked at him. My dreams… "How much did I tell you?" I asked him.

"Really? I guess that the medicine was wearing off," Uncle said, shaking his head. "You were telling me about of your dreams. A pipe-smoking owl, a flying jester, some sort of monster that with six hands and horns… It sounds a lot like your dreams are being influenced by these cases." He wiped his mouth after taking a bit of a sandwich.

_Owl, NiGHTS… Wizeman…_ The image of Wizeman flashed in my mind and I shuddered.

"Leon, are you sure you're okay?" Uncle put down his sandwich and looked at me concerned. He had every right to be, the idea of Wizeman was just horrifying. I thought back to those broadcasts depicting the cases… That figure with the six hands, bloodied impacted on the walls above the eyeless corpses…

My mind flashed to the pharmacy, the incident with Dr. Charles. Those gaping bloodied holes in his eyes somehow pierced into my mind, and I couldn't think. His voice… that rasping hiss with no soul, no feeling. That was not Dr. Charles… and he called me Visitor, just like in my dreams.

"Leon! You're zoning out! Maybe we should head home, eh?" Uncle nodded putting his sandwich down. He reached over and patted my hand.

I nodded my head and stood up, rubbing my head. Uncle stood up and left his money on the table. We both then exited the restaurant and entered the streets of Twin Seeds.

* * *

The streets of Twin Seeds were still somewhat bustling with its citizens, and the sun was a little above the horizon. Uncle and I continued down the sidewalk, careful to avoid the uneven ridges between the sidewalk blocks. As we rounded the corner of the block, there was a man sitting against the wall. Ragged clothes and dirty features, the man stared down at his feet with his arms laid on his knees. A beanie with a gaping hole in the front sat snug on his balding head. As we walked past him I heard a hissing noise trailing through the air. I turned my head just in time to see him look up.

Eyeless holes stared back at me, dried blood smeared on his face. His sockets held nothing but impossible pitch blackness piercing into my soul. The man's mouth opened and hissed again, darkened tendrils creeping out from his gaping orifice.

"Viiiissssiiiittooorrrr…" The voiced stabbed through the air as I leapt back form the man, pushing Uncle. "Uncle! T-that guy!"

"Leon, what the…?!" Uncle turned to me and looked at the man. As I turned back to him, I could see that the horrifying appearance had disappeared, replacing it with a man with a toothless snarl. "Back off, pal, we can't spare any change." Uncle barked at the man. The man just growled and turned away. "Come on, Leon."

I began to walk, but then did a double-take on the man. He simply looked at me and held his hand up in a fashion to expose his palm. In the center of it was a carved the image of an eye, too much like those of the murder-suicide victims. _This isn't good… not at all…_

* * *

As we arrived back at the apartment, there was another man, leaning against the front door and smoking. Upon us approaching, he looked up and saw us, dashing his cigarette to the ground. He smothered it and straightened himself up. He was in a tan brown suit with a gold undershirt, a light blue tie loosely wrapped around his neck. His short black hair spiked up with an excessive amount of hair gel as he began to tighten his tie. I could tell already by his smug attitude I wouldn't like him.

"Good evening," he said. "My name is Detective John Miller. I need to ask you a few questions about the recent incident."


	10. Night 10

**NiGHTmare**

**Night 10**

I sat across from the detective while in the lobby of the of the apartment complex. Miller took a sip from a nearby can and continued to smoke as he looked expectantly at me. I sighed and muttered. "Yes, sir. That's what happened. I swear…"

"So… let me get this straight… You say that you entered the pharmacy… saw the blood… looked around for him… and were ambushed by Dr. Charles… then you blacked out…" Miller said. He chewed on his cigarette as he continued to scribble on his notebook. "Alright… so you entered the pharmacy…"

"Yes! For the hundredth time! I went into the pharmacy, saw the blood, and got ambushed! I got attacked by him and blacked out!" I gritted my teeth. I was tired of saying it over and over. Whoever this guy was, wither he was a genius that saw through my lies, or an absolute idiot.

"Well, forgive me for simply wanting to get the facts straight. It just doesn't seem to all add up. You say that there was no kind of hostility between you and Dr. Charles, nor is there any kind of previous mental illnesses present in his medical history… granted he did experiment with various types of drugs that of course he was pardoned fro-"

"Are you sure that you should be telling me this information?!"

"Geh! Y-yeah..." _Eeyup, a total idiot…_ "Anyways, like I was saying, there's been no reason for him to assault you, or anyone for that matter…" Miller twiddled the pen about.

I wasn't sure whether or not I should tell him. Granted, he was a part of the police, and that I should tell him everything. But what kind of police force is going to believe a story about a trans-dimensional world in which a six-hand man attacks dreamers by throwing monsters at us to steal bits of their souls for some unknown reason, wherein the victims become zombies that cut out their eyes and palms of their hands to simply scare the shit out of other people? If I told him that, then I might as well have asked to be thrown into the nut-house!

"So, what are you not telling me, Leon?" Miller asked tapping his cigarette into a nearby cola can.

"Nothing. I told you everything that you asked of me," I lied. "What more do you want?"

Miller fiddled around more with his notebook, and then looked back up at me, a serious look in his eyes. Maybe I was wrong… he probably saw through everything I was saying.

"Well, Leon… I guess that's all the information I need..." Miller grabbed the can and put his notebook in his jacket pocket. He stirred the can and took a swig. His face contorted; he dashed over to a nearby trashcan and retched.

_Jesus, what the hell is _wrong_ with this guy?!_ I sighed in exhaustion.

Miller straightened himself up and turned to me, a confident look on his face. "Alright then, I just need to talk to your Uncle now, and then I'll be on my way!" He wiped his mouth and proceeded upstairs to talk to Uncle.

I rolled my eyes and slumped in the chair. _I'm gonna need a good rest… Maybe a dream session will help…_

* * *

Night began to fall once again as Miller bid his farewell. I closed the door behind him without a second glance. I then ran upstairs to get ready for bed. Uncle was getting ready in his room for his night-shift job.

My room was as I left it, not that I thought it would be any different. The doorknob for my door lay on my nightstand, the sheets disheveled on my bed. I sat down on the bed. _May as well check out the TV…_ I flipped on the television.

"The reasoning for today's incident has yet to be revealed by the TSPD. In what the locals are calling a 'horrific scene out of nightmares,' at least two casualties and one injury have been noted. Local pharmacist and practicing doctor Charles Montague and his assistant Henry Darrin were both found dead this morning with several indicators resembling those of the recent suicide victims. One anonymous individual managed to escape with several wounds but is otherwise alive and…"

I switched off the television. _Great… Well, at least they left my name out…_ I slumped against the back of the bed and tossed the remote onto the nightstand. Running my fingers through my hair, I gave a sigh of exhaustion. "Holy crap… what a day…" This was pretty horrible. I'm not sure how exactly anyone else would have handled the situation any differently. I may not be the best at handling issues, but then I did just see a person with his eyes carved out slit his own throat and try to kill me with a goddamn scalpel.

The light from the sun began to dim as my mind continued to run through the events of the day, and my eyes began to grow heavy.

* * *

I woke back up, greeted with a view quite different from my room. The familiar twisted gateway welcomed me once before, and there was little to no damage to any of the surrounding area where the lightning had been striking. The grass was as green as it was before, and the center fountain continued to bubble clear water. NiGHTS was floating just to the left of the fountain while Owl was sitting perched up on one of the bars of the fence. The moment I step up to the gate NiGHTS and Owl looked over.

"Leon! Good to see you, hoo!" Owl called as he flew over to me. "We were quite worried about you."

"Speak for yourself, bird-brain," NiGHTS turned away with her arms crossed. "_You_ were worried…"

_Jeez, thanks for that. Good to know you ca-_

"I knew he would be fine. It was just a dream collapse. A minor one at that. Nothing too severe…"

_Well then…_ "Thanks, you guys. I'm sorry about that. I just… To be honest, that was quite a bit to take in…" I said. Granted, I wasn't sure how anyone _could_ take something like that easily.

NiGHTS began. "So if you're dead-"

"I'm _not_." I snapped quickly. "I just died for a quick second." I immediately regretted saying that. It sounded stupid. No, it _was_ stupid.

"Bahahahahahaha! _Died_ for a second? That doesn't make any sense! 'Oh, I just _died_. But I'm better now. Twas but a flesh wound or some sort!'" NiGHTS mocked, crossing her eyes as she did so.

"Right. Well, it was just an isolated incident. My heart stopped for a second from an allergic reaction. It was just long enough to be declared dead, apparently…"

"And long enough to allow Wizeman to take _all_ your Ideya, hoo," Owl piped in. I turned to him. "Normally, when one who is strong enough enters this world, the Visitor's Ideya are either hidden or taken from them. The only one that cannot be taken directly is the Red Ideya, the Ideya of Courage. This Ideya is the most primal one, the one in which the soul is most directly connected to. This Ideya cannot be taken because it is directly linked to the soul of the Visitor. Should that Ideya be taken, the Visitor will be left soulless and die." Owl took a puff of his pipe.

"And since my heart stopped… Wizeman had the chance to take it… so I don't have a soul… But I'm alive now! Doesn't that count for something?!" I declared.

"Afraid not, Visitor. Your Ideya was taken. You technically have no soul left," Owl muttered. "We've had Visitors lose their Red Ideya before, but for no longer than a fleeting moment."

"Her name was Helen Cartwright. She had managed to gather most of her Ideya before she lost her courage to Wizeman. Fortunately, William Taylor was there to help her out and give her courage. But we haven't had a Visitor that's not had _any_ Ideya before…" NiGHTS explained.

_Helen and William… Owl mentioned them before…_ _Cartwright and Taylor… I've heard of them before…_ I remembered vaguely hearing about them on the television a couple times. Helen played the violin for some prestigious academy or band, I think… and William was a professional soccer player, a prodigy. I think I remembered something about them having a history together with them being close friends, both from Bellbridge.

"So even though Helen had her courage taken from her, but she still had the rest of her Ideya… so she didn't lose her soul…" I muttered to myself. _Well, her situation isn't going to help me._ "I have another question, guys." They both turned to me. "What was that thing I did before… back there with that monster, the 'Nightmaren'?" That huge monstrosity still showed itself in my mind: the long claws, acidic spit, lizard skull… and that red jewel in its chest.

"I think it was a form of dream warping, like what we were talking about before. Remember when I told you about how dreams couldn't just be the exact way that dreamers wanted them to be, when we first met?" NiGHTS asked me. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, a little bit. You said that dreamers can't change the night dimension to extremes because it would tear itself apart or something like that."

"Well, what you did back there may have been a form of dream manipulation. You warped your dream to what you wanted it to be. So instead of a stick, you had a sword, hoo!" Owl explained. "This world is very loose in terms of its properties, so something that simple was not necessarily extreme to the wellbeing of the dream state, hoo!"

"Hm… kinda like lucid dreaming, I guess?" So I managed to change the dream to what I wanted, but there are limits to what I can do. _Alright, I got it, I think_. "So all I have to do is get my Ideya back and then I'll have my soul, right? And there's five Ideya: White, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red. If I can control the dream, I might be able to get them back. It shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Yes, but it might take a while. Go ahead and try it now and we'll see how far we need to go, hoo!" Owl hooted.

"Yeah, just don't collapse the dream again, alright Leon? It hurts a lot when you do that," NiGHTS chimed in. I couldn't tell if she was legitimately concerned or if she was joking around again, but I figured she was just looking out for our well-being. "Maybe it would be easier if we went to Nightopia where there's more room?" She twirled in place.

"Yeah, I think that would be a better idea… and we might be able to find some clues on whom or what has my Ideya, right?"

Owl nodded, and NiGHTS flew down to my level. "Listen, Leon. This is very important. We _need_ to find your Ideya. I don't know how much longer you can last without at least one piece of _any_ of them. It's not going to be easy, especially since you can't dualize with me."

I sighed in exasperation. "Right… Let's just go and do some dream training, or whatever we're going to call it now." I turned and saw Owl perched atop an archway with a door, much like the first one we entered. I drew a breath, pulling the doors open, and was welcomed with a warming white light.


End file.
